Big girl

After the seemingly-precipitous changes of last month, you've settled into your new role as a big girl--a toddler, and not a baby.  You have so much hair now, and with the onset of warmer weather, it's like a halo of reddish-blonde curls.  Snuggling those curls, as you cling to me like a monkey, is my favorite thing.

You are funny, intense, and focused.  You've learned that things have their places, and you remember where those places are.  You also love to return things to their places.  But, occasionally, you like to return them to other places, so I often find a measuring cup in a drawer I wouldn't expect.

You are busy, busy, busy.  It's hard to get you to sit still for a photo.  You do laps around our downstairs, checking in on your favorite drawers and cabinets, wearing an ugly, chunky necklace or a pair of goggles, or your daddy's old watch.  This morning, you picked up your basket of stuffed toys and lugged it from room to room.

You practice the few words you've acquired--banana, Pop Pop, Dada, bye, hi--but haven't added new words in a while.  You also sign for a few things ("more" being the most frequent).  I'm not worried.  You're too busy exploring to focus on words yet.

I can't fathom how much you've changed in a year.  And I wish I could peek into the future and see you in a year.  Just a peek.  Until then, though, I plan to enjoy each day.

Sunny days

The first truly beautiful weekend of the year.  Spring is just around the corner!